Holy Night - Week 4

Holy Night : The Chosen  Series - Week 4

He Came; We Go: A Love That Moves

A reflection from Pastor Travis Young

There's a moment in parenting that every dad knows—that split second when your child takes off running and you realize you'd better move fast if you're going to keep up. A few years ago, I watched one of my kids bolt across our driveway toward the street, and without thinking, my feet were already moving. That's what love does. It doesn't sit still. It runs.
That image came back to me this Advent as I've been preparing to preach on Luke 2—the shepherds' story. The text tells us that after encountering the Christ child, "they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child" (Luke 2:17). These rough-around-the-edges shepherds became the world's first evangelists, rushing from the manger straight into the streets of Bethlehem. One minute they're at Jesus' feet. The next minute they're on their feet—for Jesus.

He came; they went.

That four-word pattern has been wrecking me in the best way. It's not just the shepherds' story—it's the whole arc of Scripture. John the Baptist goes. The Magi go and spread the news. Jesus sends the Twelve, then the Seventy-Two. The Risen Christ commands, "Go." Luke writes his Gospel and then writes Acts to show us the same thing: the Church scattering like seeds across Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth.

He came; we go.

Going to the Ones Nearest Us

Here in Aledo and West Fort Worth, "going" starts simple. It starts with the name God keeps bringing to your mind—the neighbor whose face you see when you pull into the driveway, the coworker two desks down, the parent on the sidelines of your kid's soccer game.
For me, it's neighbors to my left and to my south —two neighbors I keep thinking about. I don't have a grand strategy. I just know that before Christmas, our family is going to take them some honey butter (because who doesn't love honey butter?) and invite them to our Christmas Eve service at our home.

That's it. That's the plan. Pray. Bless. Invite. It's not complicated, but it does require that I actually move.

We've been doing this as a church too—showing up at local community events, hosting Christmas Tyme, connecting in Morningstar, running Upward Sports. These aren't just programs; they're rhythms of love that put us shoulder-to-shoulder with our neighbors. And when you're standing next to someone at a basketball game or a neighborhood gathering, the gospel conversation doesn't feel forced—it feels natural.

Going to the Ends of the Earth

But the "go" doesn't stop at our zip code. The angel told the shepherds this was "good news of great joy that will be for all the people" (Luke 2:10). All. Not just the folks in Parker County. Not just Texas. All.

That's why I'm so grateful for leaders like Mike, who's planning mission trips and helping us think globally. That's why we support partners who are planting churches, serving the vulnerable, and making disciples in places we'll never see on a weekend road trip.
Some of us will pray. Some will give. Some will go—literally pack a bag and board a plane in 2026 to serve on a short-term trip. All of us can do something. And when we do, a map lights up from Aledo to the ends of the earth—76008, 76102, 76107, all the way to places we can't even pronounce.

The Question That Won't Leave Me Alone
If I'm honest, the question haunting me this Advent is this: Has the Church stopped going?

We're busy. We're tired. We're distracted. We live in a polarized moment where contempt seems easier than conversation. Personal evangelism has cooled in many places, and I get it—talking about Jesus feels awkward, risky, even offensive to some.
But the shepherds didn't ask permission. They didn't wait for a better cultural moment. They just went. Because when you've seen the Savior, love moves your feet.

What It Looks Like When We Leave

This Sunday, after we light the Love candle and hear Luke 2 again, I want us to do two things before we walk out the doors:

1. Near: Pull out your phone right now and write down one name—the neighbor, friend, or coworker you'll invite to Christmas Eve and check on this week.
2. Nations: Visit our Missions table, scan the QR code, or talk to someone on our team about praying, giving, or going. Learn one partner's name and start praying for them tonight.

That's it. Two steps. Because love doesn't need a perfect plan—it just needs to move.

He Came; Now Go

The eternal Son of God took on flesh, lived the life we couldn't live, died the death we deserved, and rose to give us forgiveness and forever life. That's the message "for all the people." And if He came all that way for us, surely we can cross the street—or cross an ocean—to make Him known.

So let's go. To our neighbors and to the nations. In love. Like the shepherds. Like the early Church. Like people who've actually seen the Savior and can't help but tell someone.

He came; we go.

Blessings,

Dr. Travis Young